NYRA to no longer accept entries from horses who ran <14 days ago

[ScottJ]

If the bottom claiming level is upped from $10,000 for Open Claimers and $12,500 for Maiden Claimers, my understanding is that NYRA has estimated that this will cost them fields for at least three races per week which explains the shortening of the weekday race cards to eight races. As these levels only appear at Aqueduct's winter meet, my guess is that nine race cards will return with either the main track opening or surely at the Belmont meeting.

If Steve's view is correct that the 14-day rule is designed to prevent triple or quadruple runs during a fortnight, the rule really should be written that way. Since several horses have been running on a seven or ten day cycle and helping to fill cards, this will lead to shorter fields.

I do however like the idea of a vet's list for non-competitive runners although basing those nominations on losing distance seems wrong. As one reader has pointed out, what happens is you lose the Carter by 25 lengths? The idea of qualifying races, a more stringent version of mandatory gate works or workouts, might have finally found their place in thoroughbred racing.

Short of qualifiers, perhaps any horse that is eased in the final quarter mile of races 5.5 furlongs or less, final 3/16s of 6 furlongs, or final eighth at a mile or more should be placed on the vet's list. In other words, try to make it a combination of the jockey's interpretation of the horses competitive level and performance on the track.